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Not Your Typical Case of Writer’s Block

I wrote a post last week about writer’s block, so before you go thinking that I’m just reposting the same thing, I’m not. This is quite a bit different.

So now you’re probably wondering what the title of this post means exactly. Well, it means what it says. Most writers embarking on a great writing journey will almost certainly hit a wall in which their creative juices just don’t seem to be flowing at all. I know I’ve experienced this a number of times in the last year that I’ve written seriously. But this that I’m facing now, no, this is different.

The first draft manuscript of my second book has not been touched in weeks. I don’t have an exact date but I know it’s been much too long. The thing is, is that I think about the stupid thing every single day. I think about sitting down at my computer and writing a few thousand words and raising my middle finger to the screen and proclaiming, “YOU CAN’T STOP ME!” I think of what happened in the last chapter I actually wrote. I think of what might happen in the chapters to come. But there’s nothing there. Nothing. It’s as though I’m driving in an unknown land and somehow managed to drive myself straight into a dead end with no idea how I got there. Any person who says writing is easy should be shot, but writing should never be THIS hard.

Not that people should care about my writing, but no one I know does. I have like two people who regularly ask about how book two is coming along. My family doesn’t ask. My so-called friends don’t ask. No one asks. Which means I’m only accountable to myself. That may not be enough this time around.

You know what I need? A punch in the face. Or someone to yell at me that this is what I’ve wanted to do for so long. Or maybe just someone to sit down and talk to me about my story. Maybe another person will see something I don’t.

I’m opening Word as I type this. I refuse to let my story push me around. I’m taking it back. Right now.

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26 thoughts on “Not Your Typical Case of Writer’s Block”

I do this all the time! I usually just start writing stupid stuff the characters would do. I allow them to step away from the story and just have a little fun. I also get out my pen and paper. I find that pounding away at the keyboard can disconnect you from a story, at least it does that for me. So I hand write the story a little bit to reconnect. Good luck getting back on the story!

I know the feeling, John. I haven’t actually opened up my manuscript for my second book since Jan. But that’s because the voices in my head told me to start writing a different story. Meanwhile, my fans are asking when book 2 is coming out – um, at this rate, never…
Good luck! Hope you hammer it out soon

Read…Just read in the style of your book. Copy sentences that you like by hand…Read some more…And believe that you’ll get back to your book… Maybe you need to write the ending…Maybe you need to ask your main character what he/she wants to say. Then Listen. Listen very carefully…
And maybe you should write that other story you can’t wait to work on. Follow that passion. This second book is not going to go away. It will still be there when you come back to it.

For me, I don’t push my stories. I’ll write as long as the inspiration is flowing. If it stops, I let it. I’ll think about it on my own but I won’t actually start writing again until I feel good about the direction, and if I ever feel the pull to work on another story of mine, I’ll do it. I’m more of the mind to write when and where the inspiration takes me. I think forced writing is very obvious. But I’m a self-pubber so I’m not on anyone else’s timeline. Best of luck to you either way!

That’s essentially what my philosophy has been, except for moving onto another story. I’m afraid that if I go in another direction at this point that I won’t come back to this one. I’m sitting at my computer as I type this. I refuse not to get SOME writing done before bed. I’ve been thinking about it all day.